Desire
by Salome Maranya
Summary: Just when Sebastian thought his master's pure human soul is forever beyond reach, he discovers the existence of a time-space witch able to grant anyone's deepest desire. The toll is inconsequential. He will have Ciel's soul.


_This work is set after the events in Kuroshitsuji II or the second season of the anime series Black Butler, wherein Ciel became a demon as per request and is a crossover with xxxHolic. There is a possibility that the animators would opt for a third season. If that happens, then this story can be considered simply a non-canon spinoff crossover. _

_All characters, trademarks, anime and manga series are owned by respective authors and companies. Circumstances or events whether they are accurate to the flow of the two series or not, are manipulated to suit the story._

**Akuma, Anata No Negai Wa Nani?**

_**(Demon, what is your wish?)**_

It had been so long.

As nations progressed, it became more and more difficult to hide one's real identity, especially if it entailed pretending be dead. Thus, he, no, they, were forced to leave Britain, swearing not to return until a few hundred years later and careful not to venture on any English-conquered soil. Yet this "demon-granted blessing" as the demon child worded it was a seemingly endless curse to the butler who persevered so much to suit his taste. It was too much for the butler to bear. He extremely hungered for a soul, but he was, and is still bound by the Faustian contract he had formed with Ciel, the child reborn as a demon. It was in the midst of the Second World War that Sebastian Michaelis, the butler referred to in the previous statements, came to hear of a shop owned by a powerful time-space witch able to grant even the most absurd desires of both the living and the dead, human or not.

Of course, something was off about it. How such operation was possible and how can it maintain order were all but known to him. Nevertheless, he was desperate. A soul to devour, even a single compatible one, would keep him alive for at least a handful of centuries; and so, from this desperate desire coated by reason that they must keep away from familiar Western lands, Sebastian finally coaxed Ciel Phantomhive to settle in the land of the rising sun.

A little less than a week proved enough for the young master to grasp the gist of the Japanese society, even if naturally, it was Sebastian who took care of everything. The butler maintained his motives unknown to the child who enjoyed the exotic culture and cuisine, quite oblivious to the real reason why they set foot on there in the first place.

"Sebastian, I want a new dish for supper," Ciel nonchalantly declared as he consumed his afternoon snack. Monetary and material provisions were of no matter, as Sebastian had no problem whatsoever acquiring such trivial things, whether within or beyond the scope of law.

"Yes, my lord," replied the black butler, yet the earnest enthusiasm had faded. Perhaps it died alongside the human soul of Phantomhive child? The thought of the witch and his son haunted him, it was good that the Earl did not seem to notice. If he did, he showed nothing to prove so and satisfyingly devoured his sushi. It wasn't anything made of human soul, but it would do for now. He had not yet begun to hunger for it.

The butler left without another word. Ah, but before all of that, they had tucked their exorbitant attires away, replacing their façade with a mixture of Western faces in Eastern style.

'_Soul…a delicious soul…now…' _the butler thought bitterly as he strolled along the marketplace towering above everyone else, unmindful of edgy glances from the people around him. After all, who would not cast death glares to the "allies" of those who bombed their country? He stood out like a grasshopper in a field of busy ants.

'_Soul…a vengeful soul…perfection…'_

And suddenly he found himself in a deserted alley, right in front of a traditional Japanese house partly obscured behind a low wall. Instinctively, he would not dare do anything that would not ensure profit; hence, the cause of his bewilderment as he stepped beyond the gates, then straight to the house itself.

"Irashai!" childish voices resonated throughout the front area of the house. Two girls appeared merrily dancing and chanting "A customer! Customer for the mistress!"

'_Customer? Could this be?-_'

"Come with us," one of the girls said. He let them be as they grabbed his hands and led him somewhere inside.

"Tell me, what is this place?" he asked as curiosity got the best of him.

"It's the mistress's shop!"

"The shop!"

"Mistress's shop!"

The girls freed his hands. They then proceeded to slide the doors of the main room open, revealing a woman in kimono seated on a couch.

'_Ageless…unbound by restraints of time and space…' _Then it hit him. '_This woman holds this place together…with such power my dearest wish can be fulfilled at last!_'

He eyed her intently – the long black hair, piercing eyes and that regal, intimidating aura made her seem like a queen, a powerful wish-granting sovereign.

She inclined her head to face the entering party, "Maru, Moro, you two can leave now."

"Yes, mistress!" the girls said in unison and left the room.

Utilizing the "gentleman attitude" he had acquired during the old days, he knelt before the woman and said in fluent Japanese, "Pardon my intrusion into your abode milady. I have been overwhelmed with curiosity and came in without invitation. It must have been…coincidence."

A slight creak signaled that the woman had gotten on her feet. "Arise, young man," he heard her chuckle lightly, "that is, if you are human." Sebastian did as he was told. They stood face to face, almost as tall as each other.

"You are not here because of coincidence. There is no such thing as coincidence in this world. There is only the inevitable."

'_Inevitable, eh?_' Sebastian's lips curved into a smile. The witch on the other hand, matched his smile with a similarity alarming expression.

"It hasn't been long since I had a demon visit my shop," she strode toward Sebastian Michaelis, approaching nearer and nearer, until she stood by his side. "Onamae wa?" she casually asked, "the last one didn't tell me hers."

"It is uncommon for a demon to lie, even so, I cannot tell you my real name," the butler replied.

She motioned for him to follow, closing the door behind them with a click, "We shall head somewhere nice and quiet suitable for a negotiation."

"Well then demon," she said, "what is it that you desire the most?"

* * *

"A soul you say?" Yuuko asked, as they continued their conversation.

They sat across a tea table in a cozy Western-themed room unlike the rest of the house.

"Yes. You see a demon cannot consume a soul without a contract, at the moment I am bound-"

"You mean to say…you desire just any human soul?"

The butler was slowly being ticked by the meticulous inquisitions of the supposed time-space witch. "I take it that I already stated-"

"Oh really?"

"I-I-"

'_The butler of the Phantomhive house cannot be caught stuttering. It is out of character._' He snapped back to his usual self, "Of course, but one that would satisfy my hunger."

"Ah," the woman's eye glinted partly with malice, partly amused, "I thought demons do not lie." For a moment it seemed as if the butler's shadow went berserk, unleashing a wave of negative miasma throughout the shop. His patience was at its limit, but no matter how he tried to argue, he could not deny that the soul he really wanted was Ciel Phantomhive's. Sebastian fought the urge to rip her right there and then. How she vexed him!

With a dismal wave, the witch purified the impure aura, "So, Sebastian Michaelis, what is it you truly desire?"

"Ciel Phantomhive's human soul," he admitted through gritted teeth.

_ Clap. _The woman put her hands together in mock delight, matching it with a jovial smile. "Now that the wish had been determined, it is time to settle the necessary compensation."

"That makes sense," Sebastian said through gritted teeth, "the compensation, what is it?"

"This Phantomhive you speak of…had been transformed into a demon like yourself."

"Make haste, witch."

"Be patient demon, the payment is simple. You-" she deliberately stopped in midsentence.

Sebastian felt chills run all over him. On the other hand, Yuuko simply continued sipping on her tea, "Perfect timing, don't you think?"

_ BLAM. _

"Sebastian, what are you-?"

"Obocchan…" he murmured, almost anxiously. But wild excitement was rushing through his being. He had never felt so eager in a long time that he was trembling in anticipation.

"Mistress, mistress, we're so sorry," Maru and Moro rushed, pointing at Ciel.

Yuuko smiled and said, "No need to apologize," she turned to Ciel, "Ciel Phantomhive, I presume."

"Yes."

"Good. Let us begin." She turned to the girls. "Maru, Moro, out with you."

"Hai~" They both left.

Yuuko raised her arms, one in Sebastian's direction and the other in Ciel's. Time stopped. Everything froze in place. Sebastian remained calm, Ciel did not. In fact, he was alarmed beyond recognition. "Sebastian! This is an order, tell me what is happening!" But at that instant, he felt different…his eye…he immediately removed his eye patch to see if his guts were telling him right. "No…" he could see with both eyes again, "i-impossible!"

"From this moment, the contract between the demons Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis is hereby considered null and void. Likewise, the payment for the wish of the demon Sebastian Michaelis-"

"-shall be given shortly after, witch." At last, he had acquired his deepest more cherished desire…to devour the soul of Ciel Phantomhive. It was difficult to describe the ecstasy he felt as he savored his former master's pure and tasteful soul. Bit by bit, till the very last essence.

"Are you done, demon?" Yuuko said as she settled down on one of the seats. It was hard to read beyond her impassive face but the demon paid no mind to that.

"Yes," Sebastian turned, "the payment-"

"-has officially been received."

Then just like that, everything dissolved into the darkness.

Sebastian Michaelis woke up from a strange dream. There, he wore a tail coat, which was extremely odd, for all he knew he had never worn such attire. "Ah," he had just noticed that apparently he had dozed off in the middle of a deserted road, "why am I here? I must get home-" but he couldn't remember where it was. Hell, he doesn't even remember if he had one. He nimbly sat up straight, then regretted it quickly as he felt a sudden stinging pain in about every part of his body.

He could have been mugged. Did they hit him so hard in the head that he forgot about his life? But he had no clues whatsoever to prove this inference.

Who does he think he is then? Sebastian Michaelis was his name, but…what else?

His head throbbed painfully. He felt severely weakened, as if his soul had been sucked out.

* * *

"_The price for transforming Ciel Phantomhive's demon soul back to its former human form is your own demon soul. Are you still willing to compensate for your wish?"_

"_Yes."_

But if he had given up his demon soul…why is he still alive?

"_B-but, me, a demon!" he muttered, "That cannot possibly be true."_

"_There are no such creatures as demons."_

Sebastian Michaelis the human stood abruptly, stumbled in the first few steps and walked away.

Free at long last.


End file.
